Plane Elastic Waves Generated by Dynamical Loading Applied to Edge of Circular Hole

Abstract

The generalized plane stress, or plane strain, elastodynamic problem of an unbounded body, subjected to sudden application of tractions at the surface of a circular hole, is considered. In general this problem involves three independent variables, two spatial coordinates, and time, but it is shown how the method of characteristics, for one spatial variable and time, can be applied when the dependent variables are expanded as Fourier series in terms of the polar angle θ. A numerical procedure is proposed for the method of characteristics and numerical results are obtained for a specific example.